Automobile heater



A ril 6, 1937. S, P, A NOLD 2,076,287

AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed April 21, 1934 Patented Apr. 6, 1937 STATESPATENT OFFICE 5 Claim.

This invention relates to a heating apparatus for motor vehicles andmore particularly to a steam heating system therefor utilizing theheated products of combustion and exhaust gases 5 from the vehiclemotor.

Hot water heaters have been very generally employed for heating motorvehicles wherein hot water from the circulatory cooling system of themotor has been employed as the heating me- 10 dium, but such hot watersystems have been found objectionable due to the delay in theiroperation while the water of the circulatory cooling system is beinginitially'warmed when the motor is first started. It has also beenproposed 15 to use steam generated by the exhaust gases for heatingpurposes wherein a small quantity of water is permanently confined inthe steam heating system or where such heating system is independent ofand separate from the circulatory cooling system of the vehicle motorand therefore necessitates a separate water supply, or more or lessconstant attention on the part of the driver. i

In the present heating system, forming the 25 subject matter hereof,means is provided for substantially instantaneous generation of steamupon the starting of the motor by use of exhaust gases, for circulationthrough a radiator of conventional type but preferably of smaller sizethan to that ordinarily employed for hot water heating systems. Thesteam circulatory system is directly connected with the water coolingsystem of the vehicle motor whereby water is automatically supplied tothe steam generator, and as the 9.5 steam pressure rises above apredetermined degree the excess water is automatically returned to themotor cooling system through a relief or blow-off valve. The exhaustgases are controlled in inverse ratio to the developed temperature by 40being directed into more or less intimate relation with the steamgenerating unit or by-passed thereabout either manually or by automaticcontrol means actuated by either steam pressure within the heatingsystem or by a thermostatic 4 control device whereby a relativelybalanced relation may be maintained between the heat radiation withinthe vehicle and the influence of products of combustion and heated gasesupon the steam generating unit to thereby maintain a reiatively uniformtemperature regardless of the motor speed.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction as well asthe means and mode of operation of motor vehicle heating apparatus 55whereby it will not only be simple and economical for manufacture, butwill be more efiicient in use, automatic in operation, uniform inaction, and unlikely to get out of repair.

A further and importantobject of the invention is to provide a heatingapparatus for motor 5 vehicles which will be economical in its operationand which will be quickly responsive to motor operation and capable ofgenerating heat quickly upon the starting of the vehicle motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steam heating systemwhich will be universal in its application to automobiles and othermotor vehicles such as tractors, trucks and the like of differentmanufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steam heating systemhaving but few parts and provided with safety means by which excesspressure will be automatically relieved back to the cooling system ofthe motor vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallysupplying water from the water cooling system of the motor vehicle tothe steam heating apparatus, and for regulating such water supply inproportion to the require ment of the heating system.

A further object of the invention is to provide regulatory means bywhich a greater or less proportion of the heated products of combustionand exhaust gases from the vehicle motor may be employed for steamgeneration purposes in a relatively balanced relation with thetemperature requirement.

A further object of the invention is to provide automatic control meansactuated by the steam generation for regulating the supply of heatedgases and products of combustion to the steam generating unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable temperatureregulating means under control of the driver for governing the operationof the heating system.

A further object of the invention is to enable the temperature withinthe vehicle to be maintained substantially uniform regardless of theperiod of operation or speed of thevehicle and regardless of externalatmospheric conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a motor vehicle heatingsystem embodying the meritorious features and advantageouscharacteristics herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as willmore fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, the parts and combinations thereof and themode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described andset forth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown the preferred butobviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of theinvention,-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional automobilemotor, radiator, and heater unit illustrating the relation anddisposition of the interconnecting and component parts of the pres- 0ent steam heating system forming the subject matter hereof. Fig. 2 is asomewhat diagrammatic view of the heating system in a distended from formore convenient consideration. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the steamgenerating means and by-pass for products of combustion. Fig. 4 is adetail view of the automatic water supply and blow-oil valve. Fig. 5illustrates a modification.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, I indicates a conventional typeof automobile motor of which 2 is the exhaust manifold and 3 the usualexhaust pipe leading therefrom. The motor I is provided with the usualcooling system wherein water is circulated about the motor cylinders andthence through the usual radiator 4 which is connected to the motor bythe water hose connections 5 and 6.

Located within the vehicle body is a radiator unit I which may be of anyusual or conventional form, such, for example, as the tubular radiatorsordinarily employed with hot water heating systems except that for thepresent purpose such radiator unit may be of much smaller size thanthose employed for hot water heating systems. Associated with theexhaust pipe 3 for the heated products of combustion is a steamgenerating unit comprising a coil of pipe or tubing 8 which may bedisposed about the exterior of the exhaust pipe 3 as illustrated in Fig.5, but is preferably enclosed directly within the exhaust pipe where itis subject to direct action of the exhaust gases. Steam circulatoryconduits 9 and I0 interconnect the steam generating coil 8 with theradiator Tinto a circulatory system. The steam conduit I0 is whichpermits the circulation of steam or condensate in only one direction, towit, from the radiator I back to the generating coil 8 from which 5 thesuperheated steam passes through the conduit 9 to the radiator 1. Thusthere is provided a circuitous system wherein the steam heated in thecoil 8 by the exhaust products of combustion from the vehicle motorpasses thence through 55 the conduit 9 to the radiator 1. During thecirculation of the superheated steam through the ra diator I its heatisjissipated within the vehicle body and the cooled or condensed steamand water are returned thence through the conduit I0 60 back to thegenerating coil l I for regeneration.

In order that the steam circulatory system may be at all times suppliedwith sufiicient water an interconnecting conduit I2 is provided betweenthe steam circulating system and a suitable 65 source of water, such asthe water cooling system of the vehicle motor. As illustrated in thedrawing, this connecting conduit I2 interconnects the return conduit IIIof the steam heating system at a point between the check-valve II andthe 70 steam generating coil 8 with one of the water conduit connections6. It is obvious, however, that this interconnection may be made atdifierent points of the respective steam and water circulating systems.Included in the interconnecting 75 conduit I2 is a double actingcheck-valve l3,

provided with a check-valve II simple form of which is illustrated inFig. 4. This double acting check-valve I3 is responsive to fluctuationsof relative pressures in the respective steam and water circulatingsystems, whereby when the internal pressure within the steam circulatingsystem falls below that 01' the water system, water will automaticallyflow from the cooling system of the vehicle motor into the steam heatingsystem to insure an ample supply of water thereto. Such water supply isprevented by the check-valve II from'flowing through the conduit I0 andso flooding the radiator 'I. The steam conduit 9 is elevated at I abovethe water level of the radiator 4 and the cooling system of the motor Iso that the water supply may not back through the conduit 9 into theradiator I. As it is customary in cold localities to intermix antifreezesubstance with the water of the motor cooling system, the presentinterconnection of the heating system therewith whereby water issupplied to the heating system from the motor cooling system insuressufllcient such intermixture of water and anti-freeze substance toprevent freezing oi the steam heating system when the vehicle is idle.Upon starting the motor I, the products of combustion immediately comein contact with the steam generating coil 8, and the temperature of thewater contained therein is raised very rapidly without the necessity ofwaiting until the body of water within the circulatory cooling system ofthe .motorhas become heated as is the case with hot water heatingsystems. The generating coil 8 being subject to the hot blast of themotor exhaust, steam is generated almost instantly and the circulationof the heated steam is initiated through the radiator I and back to thegenerator coil. As the pressure within the steam circulating systemincreases to or beyond a predetermined degree, the pressure is relievedand excess water is blown oil from the steam heating system back to thewater cooling system of the motor. Such discharge of excess water occursthrough the connecting conduit I! which thus accommodates an alternatingflow, first of water supply from the engine cooling system to the steamheating system and thence in reverse direction when excessive steam hasbeen generated back to the cooling system.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a modification wherein the inter-connectingconduit I 2 is provided with a simple form 01' check-valve I 4b,permitting flow of water in one direction only, to wit, from the coolingsystem to the conduit III of the steam heating system. In such case, asecond conduit I2a. is provided which may communicate with any portionof the steam circulating system and which contains a spring safety orrelief-valve Ila which permits the escape of excessive steam pressurefrom the circulatory system back to the cooling system of the vehiclemotor, carrying with it excess water.

While separate supply and relief. conduits, as illustrated in Fig. 5,are quite practical and may be used with equal facility, forsimplification of the' system and to minimize the parts a single conduitis preferably used for both purposes and provided with a double actingcheck-valve as illustrated in Fig. 4. The form of valve shown in Fig. 4is for illustrative purposes onlyand consists of a casing or housing I5having therein a valve seat I 6 engaged by a reciprocatory valve memberII which is provided with guide wings I8 and an axial bore I 9. Thisvalve member I! is urged to its seat I6 by a helical spring 20 ofsumcient tension to resist the desired maximum aovaaa'r steam pressureof the steam circulating system.

The valve member I1 is in turn provided with a valve seat at the mouthof its bore II for engagement of a suitable check-valve II which, in the5 present instance, is illustrated as a ball-valve limited in itsmovement relative to its seat in the end of the valve member if by atransverse pin 22. Such valve interposed in the interconnecting conduitit permits water to freely flow from the cooling system of the motor Ithrough the conduit it and thence through the bore I! of the valve illand past the ball-check 2i whenever the motor is at rest and the steampressure within the heating system has fallen below the fluid pressureof the water within the circulatory cooling system of the motor.

Upon starting the motor the back pressure of the steam generated withinthe coil 8 acting against the ball check-valve 2| will force such 20ball against its seat in the extremity of the valve member if and soclose the passage is against the escape of steam and of water from theheating system until the steam pressure has been raised to sufficientdegree to overcome the resist- 25 ance of the spring 20. Such excessivesteam pressure acting against the ball check-valve 2| and valve memberit will unseat the latter from its seat it against the tension of thespring 20 and allow the excess pressure and with it excess water 30 tobe blown oil? from the steam circulating system through the conduit I2back to the water cooling system of the vehicle motor. Thus the supplyof water to the circulatory system is automatically regulated to afforda relatively large supply of water at the beginning of the steamcirculating and heating operation, but enabling the circulation ofsuperheated dry steam after the steam generating and heating system hasbeen set in operation. 40 While the heater coil a may be disposedexteriorly around the exhaust manifold 2 or the exhaust pipe t, asbefore mentioned it is preferably inserted within the exhaust pipe fordirect engagement of the heated products of combus- 45 tion. However,for the purpose of controlling the steam generation, especially afterthe motor is in operation, means is preferably, though not necessarily,provided for by-passing the products of combustion or a variable portionthereof 50 around the generating coil. To this end the coil t ispreferably embodied in a section of exhaust pipe which may beinse'rtable in the exhaust conduit of any vehicle motor, which sectionis provided with separate passages 24 in one of which the coil 8 islocated while the other passage 24 affords a by-pass around such cell. Adampervalve 25 is provided which may be oscillated from one position toanother to completely or partially close either of the passages 24 andthereby divert r the heated products of combustion to greater or a lessextent into contact with the heater coil it or away therefrom.

As illustrated in the drawing, the damper valve 25 is pivoted forswinging motion from side to 5 side and is adapted at the extreme limitsof its range of movement in one direction to close entirely the exhaustpassage M containing the steam generating coil 8 and leave entirely'openthe by-pass passage, while at the opposite limit 70 of its range of,adjustment the by-pass is closed and the products of combustion arediverted into intimate relation with the heater coil.

The pivotal shaft of the damper valve 25 carries a rock arm 2s connectedby a reciprocatory 75 actuating wire M with a control lever 28. Thiscontrol lever 28 may be manually operated if desired. However, it ispreferably automatically adjusted. To this end, there is provided anexpansion chamber 30, one side of which comprises a flexible diaphragmll and which chamber is in communication with the steam circulatorysystem, In the present instance, the expansion chamber at is connectedwith the steam conduit 8 at a point adjacent to the heater I. The

flexible diaphragm SI of this automatic control device, bears upon aplunger 32 which in turn en-' gages the lever 28 to oscillate the leverand thereby adjust the damper valve 25 to divert the products ofcombustion away from the steam generating coil as the steam pressurewithin the heating system increases. This movement of the control lever28 is effected against the yielding resistance of a tension spring 32which tends to return the lever 28 and thereby adjust the damper valveto partially close the by-pass of the exhaust pipe section 23 toincrease the influence of the products of combustion upon the heatercoil. Thus the influence of. the heated products of combustion upon thesteam generating unit is controlled in direct ratio with the pressure ofthe generated steam, which, of course, is the temperature controllingfactor. As the steam pressure, and consequently the temperature,decreases an increased proportion of the products of combustion will bedirected onto the steam generating coil, and to the contrary as thesteam pressure, and with it the temperature, rises more products ofcombustion will be diverted through the by-pass around the heater coil.By this means an equilibrium \or balanced relation is established andmaintained between the steam pressure or temperature and the heatinginilu ence of the products of combustion so that the temperature may bemaintained uniform regardless of the motor speed. To vary this uniformlymaintained temperature, there is provided an adjusting screw 33 by whichthe tension of the spring}? may be increased or relieved therebychanging the pressure at which the lever 28 may move to adjust thecontrol valve 25.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions,detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to structural features,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosedcomprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the inventioninto effect. and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its formsor modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a heating system for motor vehicles having a motor and a source ofwater supply, a steam circulatory system including 'a radiator unit, asteam generating unit associated with the exhaust manifold of the motor,a steam circulatory conduit leading from one end of the steam generatorunit to the radiator and a return conduit leading from the radiator tothe opposite end of to the system in response to a lower pressure in thesystem than in the water supply, means responding to an increase ordecrease in the physical characteristic the steam for decreasing or inincreasing, respectively, the heat exchange relation between theproducts of combustion discharged through the motor exhaust conduit andthe steam generating unit, and an automatic control device permittingreturn of excess water from the steam circulatory system to the sourceof water supply under influence of steam pressure generated thereinabove a predetermined amount.

2. In a heating system for motor vehicles having a motor and a source ofwater supply, a steam circulatory system including a radiator unit, a

steam generating unit associated with the exhaust manifold 01 the motor,a steam circulatory conduit leading from one end of the steam generatorunit to the radiator and a return conduit leading from the radiator tothe opposite end or the steam generator, additional circulatoryconnections between the steam circulatory system and the source of watersupply through which water is automatically supplied from the source 01'water-supply tothe steam circulatory system and automatically dischargedback thereto under influence of pressure difierential, the water flowingfrom the higher pressure to the lower pressure, variable by passingmeans for directing the exhaust products of combustion in more or lessintimate relation with the steam generating unit to decrease thegeneration of steam with an increase of steam pressure and vice versa.

3. In a heating system iormotor vehicles hav- 49 ing a motor and a watersupply tank, a radiator unit, a steam generating unit' having at least aportion thereof below the water level of the supply tank, and steamcirculatory conduits connecting opposite ends of the steam generatingunit with the radiator unit and conversely, connecting means between thesource of water supply and the steam circulatory system through whichwater is automatically supplied therefor preparatory to generation 01steam, saidconnecting means supplying water to the system in response toa lower pressure in the system than in the water supply, an exhaustconduit from the motor having therein separate passages for exhaustproducts of combustion communicating with the motor with 65 one of whichpassages the steam generating unit is associated, and a variable cutofldevice tending to direct the exhaust products of combustion alternatelythrough the respective passages. the cutofl' directing the exhaustproducts of comtion between the a s nears-a e physical characteristic ofthe stea and directing the products of combustion into the other passagewhen the physical characteristic of the steam increases.

4. A heating system for a motor vehicle having a motor and a watercooling system for the motor, including a steam generating unit heatedby the products of combustion discharged from the motor, a radiator unitand a pair 01 circulatory conduits interconnecting the steam generatingunit and radiator unit into a steam circulatory system, one of saidconduits extending from the outlet end or the steam generating unit tothe radiator, the other conduit providing a return e from the radiatorto the opposite end of the steam generating unit, a water supplyconnecsteam circulatory system and the water cooling system of the motorjoined to said system at the conduit forming the return passage. a checkvalve in the conduit forming the return passage from the radiator to thesteam generator located between that portion of the return passageextending from the radiator to said supp y connection preventing flow insaid returnpassage in a direction from the generator to the radiator, aportion of said conduit extending from the outlet or the generating unitto the radiator unit being elevated above the water level of the watercooling system of the motor preventing flooding of the steam circulatingsystem.

5. A steam heating system for a motor vehicle. having a motor and awater circulatory cooling system therefor, a steam circulatory systemincluding a steam generating unit subject to the heating influence ofthe exhaust products of combustion from the motor, a radiator unit andsteam circulatory conduits interconnecting opposite ends of thegenerator to the radiator units, characterized by an automatic fluidexchange interconnecting means between the steam circulatory system andthe water circulatory cooling system of the motor, operable in responseto fluctuations or pressure in the steam circulatory system in relatlonwith those of the water cooling system, the water flowing from higherpressure to lower pressure, and means for varying the heating influenceof the products of combustion from the motor upon said generating unit,said last mentioned means including an expansion chamber communicatingwith the steam circulatory system and an adjustable deflector connectedthereto controlled by the expansion and contraction of the chamber todecrease the heating effect of the products of combustion upon the steamwhen expanded due to an increase of the physical characteristicsthereof.

SAMUEL P. ARNOLD.

